Television Whitenoise: Doctor Who Season 8

This season is proving to be a little patchy, but for me it is not the acting but the writing that seems to be at fault. The idea that this is darker than before seems to be causing issues … At the points when manic energy and silliness would have papered over the cracks, now we have silence and seriousness, and when the banter kicks in it falls a little flat.
This may be one of those situations where the genius of the writing becomes obvious in hindsight. I’m not hating these episodes, in fact there have been intermittently great parts.
The first episode breaks in the new Doctor, and the following few break in the writers. When the dust settles and the new momentum has taken over from the regeneration inertia I am hoping it will be great.